I would expect that all the writers, i.e. the whole band, will receive equal payment for the use of the music. Whether that is fair or not, that's how royalties and shared credit work.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe that's the way it would work at all in this case. Songwriting for Fleetwood Mac's songs are nearly all credited to individuals (Green, Spencer, Kirwan, songwriters whose work they covered - or whoever else may own the copyright to the songs), and not to the band as a whole. So those individuals get the songwriting royalties, which generally earn a bit more than any other form of royalties from music - this is why disputes over songwriting credits can be so contentious and have torn apart more than one band over the years. So for Fleetwood Mac, the band members would not receive equal payment by a long shot.

Mick Fleetwood: ‘Peter Green is the reason there’s a Fleetwood Mac’
Fleetwood Mac are celebrating 50 years of making music. Mick Fleetwood discusses the line-up changes, the turbulent times, and the band’s plans for the future

Before being introduced to Mick Fleetwood on the top floor of a downtown hotel in Austin, Texas, I’m reminded by his publicist that the 70-year-old drummer’s new book focuses on the band’s early years (“Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac”, as it was sometimes known).
The band’s legendary period, though – which later involved Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks and led to the stone cold classics of Fleetwood Mac and Rumours – is difficult to ignore.
The band’s penchant for cocaine, LSD and in-house extramarital relations – along with the classic lineups with Green followed by Buckingham, Nicks, Fleetwood, and Christine and John McVie – has, for many, crystallised the band’s identity.
The day before we meet, Fleetwood has been to see Stevie Nicks perform at the Frank Irwin Centre in downtown Austin. “She was great,” he says. “She did a lot of storytelling and even told the crowd to prepare themselves because she was going to be talking a lot more than she’s normally allowed to in Fleetwood Mac.”
The band turns 50 this year, with no signs of giving up. The publication of Love That Burns, the first in what will surely be a series, in the same year is merely coincidence, says Fleetwood. “We’ve been working on an idea like this for a while now and it’s just luck that we finally got it together this year.”
Diehard fans only
This, though, is one for diehard fans only. The 300-page “collector’s item” costs £325 and is filled with previously unseen photos. Only 2,000 copies are being made, with Fleetwood signing each one.
The book begins as autobiography, with many pages devoted to Fleetwood’s upbringing, part of which was spent in Norway and Egypt on account of his father’s position in the RAF. Fleetwood’s father, himself a keen drummer, encouraged his son’s interest in music, and, when he was 15, his parents reluctantly agreed to let him drop out of school to focus on music professionally. In 1963 he moved in with his older sister in London and began playing anywhere and with whomever he could.

Peter could have been the stereotypical superstar guitar player and control freak, but that wasn’t his style. He named the band after the bass player and drummer, for Christ’s sake

The British blues explosion of the late 1960s was in full swing and Peter Green recruited Fleetwood to play with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. Green had replaced Eric Clapton on guitar and was the rising star of the scene. He decided it was time to go his own way, but not without first poaching Fleetwood and later bassist John McVie from Mayall’s lineup.
Forever shying away from the limelight, it was Green who suggested naming the band after the rhythm section. But this, according to the book, was just one example of his generosity as a musician.
“Peter could have been the stereotypical superstar guitar player and control freak,” Fleetwood says. “But that wasn’t his style. He named the band after the bass player and drummer, for Christ’s sake. He was also always willing to give as much space and creative freedom to other members, like guitarist Jeremy Spencer, and songwriter Danny Kirwan, at the expense of his own creativity.”

Sense of confidence
Fleetwood attributes a lot of credit to Green for instilling in him a sense of confidence in his playing. “I’ve never been a technical player. I’ve always had quite a light touch and Peter was the first person to ever say, that’s okay. He made me believe in my style of playing, which really suited the blues we were so into at that time anyway.”
Both Fleetwood and longtime bassist John McVie subscribe to the “less is more” school of thought for drums and bass. “The rhythm section is there to serve,” he says. “John and I have always felt very strongly about that. It’s not about showing off. We’re there to support the front line so they can bounce around all over the place while we keep it cool.”
Major successes with songs such as Black Magic Woman, Albatross, Man of the World and Oh Well meant that by 1969 the band was enjoying significant success in the UK and on mainland Europe under Green’s tutelage. However, the lead singer and songwriter wasn’t that enamoured by the spotlight.
“It’s already public knowledge that he was taking a lot of acid and mescaline around the same time his illness began manifesting itself more and more,” says Fleetwood. “We were oblivious as to what schizophrenia was back in those days but we knew something was amiss.”
Hearing voices
Green began hearing voices and became increasingly paranoid.
“We might not have known it then but you can clearly hear his anguish in the lyrics of later songs such as The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown).”
When Green announced his decision to leave the band in 1970, the others were understandably devastated.

I’ve always believed you should accept musicians for what they are. That’s why Fleetwood Mac became so many different things over the years.

“When the unexpected happens you either run for the hills or, if you’ve got your head screwed on, you work with what you have left. There was definitely an element of fear and sadness when Peter left but also the realisation that we had to get our **** together or else we’d all be f**ked.”
Without Green, though, there would of course never have been a band at all. “For his legacy I think it’s important we remember that Fleetwood Mac was, first and foremost, a blues band. We all played and loved blues. And long after Peter left, we went to Chess Records in Chicago where we recorded with Willie Dixon and Buddy Guy. Can you imagine how that made us feel? Such an incredible experience could not have happened without Peter because, even though he wasn’t with us, the reason there’s a Fleetwood Mac at all is because of him.”
Peter Green continued making music after leaving Fleetwood Mac, initially with his old bandmate John Mayall. Over the years he recorded sessions with a variety of musicians, including BB King in 1972. While mental illness and drug abuse made it difficult for Green to stay focused on music, in the late 1990s he formed the Peter Green Splinter Group which went on to release nine albums between 1997 and 2004. In 1998 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Tragic figure
It clearly irks Fleetwood that many incorrectly assume Green is seen as some tragic figure, 20 feet from stardom before the rug was ripped from under him. The reality for Fleetwood is that he was lucky enough to experience fame and success twice with the same band. “People still say to me, ‘Isn’t it sad how Green started the band but didn’t enjoy get to enjoy its success?’ That’s not true. It may have been a different world to what we enjoy now but we all discovered what success felt like back in the 1960s. We had number one hits in England and across Europe and Peter, while maybe not necessarily enjoying his new-found fame, certainly experienced it.”
Green’s departure left a significant vacuum in the band, leading both Fleetwood and McVie to take refuge in family life. It was here they discovered the answer to their problems had been right in front of them all along. McVie’s wife Christine had given up her music career to marry him, having previously been a well-known musician in her own right. She joined Fleetwood Mac two days before they embarked on a US tour, and the rest is history.

The story of Fleetwood Mac isn’t over but, without getting too serious, I am 70 years old. This can’t go on forever

While the direction the music took following the departure of Green might suggest otherwise, the group’s founding father still managed to leave an unconventional yet lasting impact on the approach Fleetwood and co took in terms of bringing on new members.
“Some bands, like AC/DC, have lost members and replaced them with someone who is almost a duplicate of their predecessor,” says Fleetwood. “Perhaps because I’m not a writer or lead player myself, I’ve always believed you should accept musicians for what they are. That’s why Fleetwood Mac became so many different things over the years.”
Glimpses of genius
Fleetwood says he could see glimpses of the same genius Peter Green had when he first saw Lindsey Buckingham perform.
“They had the same essence but with very different forms of expression. In both I recognised that quality in artists who have mastered their instrument to such an extent that they begin to create a sound unique only to them.
“Peter was a very generous musician who was always willing to take a step back and let others realise their own creative vision. I have always believed in this approach and try to have faith in the artistic vision of any new musicians and writers I work with. This is what has allowed Fleetwood Mac to become so many different things.”
After several years of infighting, Christine McVie’s decision to rejoin in 2014 after quitting in 1998 was met with jubilation by the band’s fans around the world. The full five-piece outfit, most of whom are now in their 60s and 70s, were on the road for the first time in 16 years. Their On With The Show world tour in 2014-2015 was a commercial and critical hit, making just under $200 million.

Scheduled to tour
The band are scheduled to tour again in 2018, and Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham are working on a new album, that also features Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, though it will not go out under the Fleetwood Mac name. In recent interviews, Nicks says she is reluctant to record another album.
“I don’t think we’ll do another record,” she told Rolling Stone. “If the music business were different, I might feel different. I don’t think there’s any reason to spend a year and an amazing amount of money on a record that, even if it has great things, isn’t going to sell.”
Mick Fleetwood is a little more sanguine. “The story of Fleetwood Mac isn’t over but, without getting too serious, I am 70 years old. This can’t go on forever, which is why I think it’s important to leave behind lovely things that chronicle those moments in life that one is most proud of.”
Love That Burns: A Chronicle of Fleetwood Mac Volume One 1967-1974 will be published by Genesis Publications in September. Copies can be pre-ordered. See genesis-publications.com

It sounds more and more like this new book will be mostly an expanded version of the first portion of Mick's two autobiographical books. Really, what would lead us to believe it would be anything much more than that, just with some new photos tossed in? There are already 140-150 pages of text in each of those two books covering the pre-1975 versions of the band - not including photos - so based on that alone, I would not expect to see a whole lot more substance in this new book.

Not that I'd pay the equivalent of £325 for a book regardless, but even assuming there will eventually be a less-expensive non-deluxe edition (which may or may not be the case), I'd still have to be persuaded that it would be worth the money. Mick's books to date have been fine for what they are, but for comparison, the Fleetwood Mac portion of Dinky Dawson's "Life on the Road" is a far more entertaining read that includes greater detail on the band's early days. Now if we could only get Dinky to release more of those early soundboard recordings!

Mick's books to date have been fine for what they are, but for comparison, the Fleetwood Mac portion of Dinky Dawson's "Life on the Road" is a far more entertaining read that includes greater detail on the band's early days.

agreed!

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharksfan2000

Now if we could only get Dinky to release more of those early soundboard recordings!

oh, yeah - there MUST be more of that in existence, probably mouldering in some vaults!

LONG ROAD Fleetwood Mac’s Mick reveals pride over Scots roots but claims band dreaded drive to Scotland in clapped-out busThe legendary drummer claimed the drive was like going to a different country

FLEETWOD MAC used to hate travelling to play gigs in Scotland when they were starting out — as they feared their tour van would BREAK DOWN.

The band’s legendary drummer Mick Fleetwood reveals the journey north of the border back in the late 60s almost felt like going abroad due to the distance they’d have to travel from their base in London.

Mick, second from left, has been in the band since it formed half a century ago

And getting there when your mode of transport was a clapped-out rustbucket brought its own worries.

Mick, who is putting the finishing touches to a new tell-all book, says: “Back in the day it was always a schlep going to Scotland. It was like going to a different country.

“When we made the journey it was spent worrying if the van was going to break down because it was a long way.

“I get that it is not really that far but we felt, ‘S*** we’re going to Scotland’ — 350 miles seems like a long way when you are starting out.

“Going to Scotland felt like going abroad, like getting on the boat and going to Germany.”

Despite the travelling fears, the rocker says it was always worth the trek when they met the Scots fans — and Fleetwood Mac plan to return here as part of an upcoming farewell tour.

He says: “When we were starting out, there was always this wild enthusiasm.

“Off we would go and they were wild, wild audiences in Scotland. I think it is the nature of the culture.

“Also, we became aware that the Scots are so happy to see music come to them, even on a local level.

“They really appreciated that we were here and had come up from London.”

Mick also reveals how he discovered his own Scottish roots when his father — RAF Wing Commander John Joseph Kells Fleetwood — died and he went to deal with his estate.

Mick, who turns 69 in June, explains: “I found out much later in life that I have, on my mother’s side, Scots blood.

“I went down to my mother Biddy’s house after my father passed away and we were just hanging out.

“There was one of those moratoriums on, where they allow you to bring guns in and hand them in without being arrested.

“Mother said, ‘Oh, I think daddy had a service revolver’ in what she called the kids’ playroom down in Salisbury where she lived.

“I said, ‘Well, I think this would be a good time to hand it in, mum’.

“I went in the cupboard and his airforce service revolver and some ammunition was all wrapped up in a greasy, oily rag.

“I said, ‘Mum, this is in the kids’ room!’.”

Mick then found out his mum’s family had come to Britain during the Norman invasion before settling in Scotland as part of the ancient Kerr clan.

He adds: “It was while I was in the cupboard I saw this kilt and I said, ‘Mum, what’s with the kilt?’. She said, ‘It’s mine’. That was when I found out.

“There is a whole history with the ancient Kerrs and I have my kilt.”

But Mick reckons he should have twigged he was part-Scottish all along, having picked up fashion tips from former band-mate Sir Rod Stewart.

The pair played together in a group called Shotgun Express, before Fleetwood Mac formed and Sir Rod found fame with The Faces.

Mick says: “I should have known like my old bandmate Rod Stewart, who is a total advocate of his Scots roots.

“Any fashion sense of wanting to present myself well, I blame on him. Rod was immaculate back in the day.

“He was a star before he was a star. It also helped that he was whip smart with that great sense of humour.

“He was a real peacock. Rod would never help to load up the van if it was raining — it would ruin his hair.”

These days Mick can be seen strutting around the streets of Maui, Hawaii, where he now lives — decked out in the Kerr tartan.

And he has even added a Scottish flavour to the restaurant he owns on the island.

He says: “In Maui, I put my kilt on occasionally.

“As soon as I found out about my heritage, I said, ‘Mum, I want the kilt!’.

“We also have a bagpipe player at my restaurant and every night he pipes the evening in.”

Mick’s mum and dad on their wedding day

Mick’s new book about Fleetwood Mac — called Love That Burns: A Chronicle Of Fleetwood Mac Volume 1: 1967-1975 — will be published by Genesis in September.

The handcrafted books are limited to 2,000 copies and each is signed by Mick.

They cover his account of Fleetwood Mac’s early blues years and the musical legacy of the group’s uniquely talented founding member Peter Green, who quit the band after being diagnosed with schizophrenia in the 1970s.

Mick said: “The book is dedicated to Peter Green.

“There simply wouldn’t be a Fleetwood Mac without him.

“Love That Burns is my very favourite song that Peter recorded and sang.”

But he adds wistfully: “Peter is greatly changed because of his illness.”

On a more positive note, Mick is celebrating after the news that his former bandmate — Fleetwood Mac’s bass guitarist John McVie — is now clear of the colon cancer he was diagnosed with in 2013.

Mick says: “John is all good. It was a scare a couple of years back. He is very, very healthy.”

Rock icons’ 50 years and 100 million record sales

FLEETWOOD Mac formed in London in 1967 and went on to sell a whopping 100million records worldwide, making them one of the biggest bands of all time.

The group’s high point came in 1977 as their album Rumours sold 45million copies and spent 31 weeks at No1 in the US.

It is also the eight-highest selling album of all time.

Love that Burns

Fleetwood Mac have also been inducted into America’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and they received a Brit Award for their Outstanding Contribution to Music.

Mick Fleetwood is the only original member of the band in the current line-up, which has changed numerous times over the years due to fall-outs and relationship break-ups.

Now typically comprised of Fleetwood, Christine McVie and her ex-husband John, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac’s farewell tour is planned for next year.

"And long after Peter left, we went to Chess Records in Chicago where we recorded with Willie Dixon and Buddy Guy."
WOT???

"Fleetwood says he could see glimpses of the same genius Peter Green had when he first saw Lindsey Buckingham perform."
so sorry, but again: WOT???

And you can add the totally inaccurate account of the Lyceum Ballroom concert (London 1970 ) ,which Mick's first two books claim was with the Grateful Dead and was Peter's last concert wth Fleetwood Mac (Spencer Line up)!!!! Not hard to check and if it was incorrect in the first book it should have been amended in the second !

even if we agree on that . . . where mick detects "the same essence" in both players i still cannot see. and with all respect due to buckingham as a songsmith, singer and guitar player - to call his sound "unique" is greatly exaggerated. any comparison at all between buckingham and green is pretty unfair on both of 'em - they're simply two completely different kettle of fish, aren't they?!

What a shame that this book is priced so outrageously. As much as I'm sure I would enjoy it, there's no way I could justify spending £325 (nearly $430) for the less expensive of the two editions that are being released - the deluxe version is £495 (over $650!).

Maybe we'll see a "regular" edition of the book at some point, but if one is planned, it really should be made available at the same time as these limited editions. That's done all the time with music boxed sets that are available in various editions, for example - some people will want the most deluxe edition regardless of cost but most will be happy with a less expensive option. If a regular edition of the book appears later, I'm afraid many people will have paid a small fortune for one of these limited editions, believing that was their only chance to get a copy - that would not be fair to them. And if these super-expensive limited editions are the only ones that are ever published, then it really is a slap in the face of most Fleetwood Mac fans.

This seems like a wasted opportunity on Mick's part to spread the word about the band's early years. There must be loads of fans who know next to nothing about that period and might well be persuaded to buy a reasonably-priced book about it if Mick pitched it right, but they'll never pay the crazy prices for these limited editions - and there are only 2,000 copies being made anyway.